Historical information

Russian-born Nina Christesen (nee Maximoff) is regarded as the pioneer of Russian academic studies in Australia. In 1946 she became a lecturer in Russian at Melbourne University, and in 1947 established the Department of Russian Language and Literature, remaining its head until her retirement in 1977. In 1987 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia.

Nina was married to Clem Christesen, founder and editor of the respected (if left-leaning) literary magazine "Meanjin". They lived at "Stanhope" in Peter Street, Eltham. Visitors included writers Patrick White and Xavier Herbert, painters Arthur Boyd and Clifton Pugh, and historians Manning Clark and Geoffrey Blainey. In 1955, both Nina and Clem were interrogated by the Petrov Royal Commission on suspicion of being Communist sympathisers, which they reputedly rebutted wittily.

Nina died in 2001 and Clem in 2003. They are buried together at Eltham Cemetery. There is also a memorial to Nina at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, in the form of a bluestone amphitheatre with a floor of hand-painted tiles.

Christesen
In Loving Memory
Of
Clement Byrne
1911 - 2003
Beloved husband of
Nina Mikhailovna
Christesen

and

Nina Mikhailovna
1911 - 2001
Beloved wife of
Clement Byrne
Christesen

also

In Memoriam
Captain Mikhail Ivanovich Maximoff
1885 - 1967
Tatiana Semenovna Maximoff
2888 - 1979

Physical description

Born Digital